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690 COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA,
forty-eight, two of forty-two, fourteen of thirty-four, two of thirty-two, three of thirty,
one of twenty-fix, one of twenty-four, four of eighteen, three of fourteen, and four of
eight guns; befide eighteen triremes, one hundred brigantines, and three hundred
boats in the Dnieper. This {tupendous account would be incredible were it not recorded
by the fecretary * to the Auftrian embafly, then refident at Mofcow ; it is fearcely pa-
rallelled by the naval exertions of the Romans in the firft Punic war. The rapidity
with which Peter created his fleet for the Black Sea, was equalled by fimilar exertions
upon the Baltic, after the acquifition of Cronftadt and the foundation of Peterfburgh.
But to return to the boat which occafioned this digreflion, and which gave rife to
the Ruffian navy. In 1723, at the clofe of the Perfian expedition, it was tranfported
from Mofcow to the new metropolis, and Peter gave a public entertainment, which was
called the Confecration of the Little Grandfire. ‘Vwenty-feven men of war, being ranged
at Cron{ftadt in the form of a crefcent, the Emperor embarked in this boat, himfelf
{teering, while three Admirals and Prince Mentchikof performed the office of rowers :
being then towed by two floops, it made a fmall circuit in the Gulf: and, returning by
the fleet, the fhips {truck their flags, and faluted with all their guns; while the Little
Grandfire returned each falute by a difcharge of three fmall pieces. It was then
brought into the harbour, and furrounded by the men of war. A few days afterwards
the Little Grandfire was conveyed to St. Peterfburgh, and its arrival folemnized
by a mafquerade upon the watert. This memorable boat, freighted with the
Emperor, proceeded to the fortrefs, and was conducted, under the difcharge
of all the artillery, to the place where it now remains enfhrined as a memorial to
potterity.
* From the fortrefs we took water, and landed at an adjacent fpot in the ifland of Pe-
terfburgh, near a wooden hovel, remarkable as the habitation of Peter the Great,
while the fortrefs was conftructing. It ftill remains in its original {tate, and ftands under
abrick building, erected to preferve it from deftruction. The houfe is a ground floor,
with only three rooms, which I had the curiofity to meafure. They are but eight feet
in height ; the apartment for the reception of company is fifteen feet fquare; the din-
ing-room fifteen by twelve, and the bed-chamber ten. Near this houfe is another four-
oared boat, the work of Peter’s own hands, which has been erroneoufly called the Little
Grandjfre.
Cuap. VI.—Congelation of Quickfilver.—Dr. Guthrie’s Experiments to afcertain the
freexing Point of Mercury, and to prove that the Purity or Impurity of the Mereury, by
no means affects the Congelation.
-
1
AS the curious experiment of freezing quickfilver was firft made at Peterfburgh by
Profeffor Braun, I was defirous of witnefling the repetition of the fame procefs; partie
cularly as many doubts were entertained by {everal philofophers, concerning the real
congelation of pure quickfilver, and I had frequent opportunities of feeing this pheno-
menon during a feries of experiments by Dr. Guthrie, phyfician to the Imperial Corps of
Cadets.
* Korb Diartum. The reader will find, in p. 236, a catalogue of the names of all thefe veffels, toge-
ther with the breadth, length, depth, number of guns, and complement of men. See alfo Le Bruyn’s
Travels, vol.i. p. 62.
+ Confett’s prefent State of Ruffia, p. 218.
Having
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